Adjustable hair transplantation chair

ABSTRACT

A convertible chair, for example, a hair transplantation chair that permits movement of the patient during a procedure while the patient&#39;s head remains substantially stationary. The chair may include a head support and a plurality of body supports that may be mounted on a base, or on a cradle movably attached to the base. The chair can be configured for a follicular unit harvesting procedure and it could be also converted into a hair implantation configuration for hair implantation procedure. The patient remains in the chair during the procedure with his head substantially stationary, while various parts of his body may be repositioned, for example, by rotation of the cradle. The chair may be automated, or assisted with pneumatics, motors, foot pumps and the like. The chair is particularly useful for assisting robotic hair transplantation procedures.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application is a Continuation of co-pending U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 12/973,765, filed Dec. 20, 2010, which isincorporated by reference herein.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to adjustable chairs and, inparticular, to a convertible and adjustable chair for use in hairtransplantation procedures.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A hair transplantation procedure typically involves harvesting donorhair grafts from a donor area, for example the side and back fringeareas of a patient's scalp, and implanting them in a bald area, orrecipient area, for example, frontal hairline. There are variousexisting methods of performing hair harvesting, including, for example,a strip harvesting and the follicular unit extraction (FUE). In a stripharvesting procedure, the donor tissue (such as a strip of scalp) isremoved under local anesthesia, the wound is sutured back together, andthis piece of scalp tissue is then cut under a microscope into smallpieces of tissue called grafts which are subsequently transplanted backinto the thinning or bald area. FUE involves harvesting follicular units(FUs), which are naturally occurring aggregates of one to fourclosely-spaced hair follicles. Hair transplantation is a highlyrepetitive, time consuming and tedious procedure that could last manyhours (e.g. whole day). In addition to hair transplantation proceduresperformed using manual or hand-held devices, the development of animage-guided robotic system for follicular unit extraction andimplantation has been proposed, for example, in the commonly-assignedU.S. Patent Publication No. 2007/0106306 to Bodduluri et al.

The Bodduluri et al. '306 publication discloses a robotic system forharvesting and/or implanting FUs having a robotic arm and a tool (e.g.harvesting cannula or punch) operatively attached to the robotic arm. Arobotic arm is positioned relative to a patient, so that a targeted bodysurface (in this instance, the donor area on the back of a patient'sscalp) is within reach of a harvesting or implanting tool. The roboticsystem may include one or more cameras, and a processor receives andprocesses the images acquired thereby. A controller operativelyassociated with the processor precisely maneuvers the robotic arm toposition the tool at desired locations and in desired orientations, forexample, relative to follicular units targeted for harvesting from thescalp or at the desired implantation locations and orientations.

Hair transplantation surgery begins with injections of local anesthesiainto the donor area. Once the donor area is numb, the doctor begins byremoving a donor strip (in a strip harvesting procedure) or byharvesting individual follicular units (in an FUE procedures). Donorstrip removal takes about 45 minutes and then it takes 3-4 hours fortechnicians to cut the donor strip into individual hair grafts forimplantation, while individual FU removal may take 2-5 hours or longerdepending on the amount of hair grafts needed and whether the harvestingis automated or not. During the harvesting part of the procedure, thepatient must be positioned face-down for long periods of time.

During the implanting site making and hair graft implanting part of theprocedure, the patient sits facing up for multiple hours, typically in areclining surgical chair, or in a semi supine position on a surgerytable. Current procedures typically utilize conventional adjustabledental chairs, such as the Boyd Oral Surgery Chair available from BoydIndustries of Clearwater, Fla.

Because of the length of the harvesting and implant procedures and dueto the difficulties for the patient to remain in a stationary positionduring long periods of time, the patient may require many breaks torelax stiff muscles. Some of the drawback of such breaks is that theymake the procedure even longer, and the patient rarely sits in exactlythe same position when the procedure resumes. In particular forrobotically-assisted procedures which may rely on precise imagingsystems, these patient readjustments may require recalibration of theinstruments. Therefore, what is needed is an improved patientpositioning system for use in hair transplantation which both increasespatient comfort during long periods of remaining stationary and reducesinterruptions.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one general aspect, the chairs described herein allow toadjust position of a patient's body, for example, during hairharvesting, implantation, or transplantation procedures withoutsubstantially changing the position of the patient's head. Theadjustments can be made with minimal interruptions of the procedure, orwithout any substantial increase in the time of the procedure.

According to one aspect, a chair is provided. The chair comprising abase and a cradle mounted on the base and configured for rotation alongan arcuate path having a center located above the cradle. The chairfurther comprises a seat mounted on the cradle such that a person may beseated thereon with a head of the person on a head support, and the headsupport mounted at a location where a center of the head of the person,if positioned on the head support, is in a close proximity to the centerof cradle rotation, wherein position of the cradle on the base beingadjustable along the arcuate path such that the center of the head onthe head support remains approximately at the center of cradle rotation.

In some embodiments the head support may be mounted to the cradle and insome embodiments it may be mounted to the base. The chair may be, forexample, a hair transplantation chair. Furthermore, the hairtransplantation chair may be implemented in the robotic hairtransplantation procedures and also in the hair transplantationprocedures where physician uses hand-held tools.

According to another embodiment a hair transplantation chair is providedthat may comprise a base configured for placement on the ground and ahead support mounted to the base near one end thereof. A cradle may bemounted on the base for rotation along an arc-shaped path having acenter of rotation located above the cradle and in a vicinity of thehead support, and a seat may be mounted on the cradle such that a personmay be seated thereon with person's head on the head support. Theposition of the cradle on the base is adjustable along the arc such thata center of the head of the person when positioned on the head supportremains approximately at the center of cradle rotation.

The present application also provides various methods for adjusting achair and for performing procedures with the adjustable chair, forexample, hair transplantation procedures. In some embodiments related tohair implantation, a method of performing a hair transplantationprocedure may include positioning a person in a hair transplantationchair which has a head support for receiving the person's head in aface-up orientation. The chair further includes a cradle mounted on abase for rotation along an arc having a center located above the cradle,wherein the head support is mounted on the cradle such that a center ofthe person's head when positioned on the head support is approximatelyat the center of cradle rotation. A seat may be mounted, for example,closer to a second end of the cradle such that the person may be seatedthereon with the head on the head support, and the position of thecradle on the base is adjustable along the arc such that the center ofthe head on the head support remains approximately at the center ofcradle rotation. The method then involves adjusting the position of thecradle along the arc relative to the base and implanting follicularunits, for example, to the patient's scalp while the patient ispositioned in hair transplantation chair. In other embodiments of themethods of the present application, the above-described methodology maybe implemented when harvesting follicular units. Furthermore, in eitherharvesting or implantation procedures, the steps of adjusting positionof the cradle along the path may be repeated as needed to reposition thepatient in the chair, and then the steps of hair harvesting or hairimplantation may be repeated while the patient is in the adjustedposition.

Another example of the method of performing a procedure (e.g., hairtransplantation procedure) is a method comprising positioning a personin a chair, the chair having a head support for receiving the person'shead in either a face-down orientation or a face-up orientation, thechair further including a cradle mounted on a base and configured forrotation along a substantially arc-shaped path having a center locatedabove the cradle, wherein the head support is mounted such that when theperson's head is positioned on the head support, a center of the head isapproximately at the center of cradle rotation, and wherein a seat ismounted on the cradle such that the person may be seated thereon withhis or her head on the head support, the position of the cradle on thebase being adjustable along the arc such that the center of the headpositioned on the head support remains approximately at the center ofcradle rotation. The method further comprises adjusting position of thecradle along the substantially arc-shaped path relative to the base. Thestep of adjusting position of the cradle along the path may be repeatedas needed to reposition the patient in the chair.

According to yet another aspect, a method for performing a hairtransplantation procedure using a convertible hair transplantation chairis provided. The method comprises positioning a patient in a convertiblehair transplantation chair in a harvesting configuration of the chairwherein a patient's posterior rests on a seat leaning forward with ahead of the patient positioned face-down on a head support andharvesting follicular units from the patient positioned in theharvesting configuration of the convertible chair. The method furthercomprises converting the hair transplantation chair to an implantationconfiguration where the patient's posterior rests on the seat leaningbackward with his head positioned face-up on the head support andimplanting hair grafts into a recipient area of the patient in theimplantation configuration of the convertible chair. In someembodiments, converting the chair comprises rotating at least a portionof the chair along an arcuate path with a center of rotationapproximately near a center of a person's head when the head ispositioned on the head support. Other and further objects and advantagesof the invention will become apparent from the following detaileddescription when read in view of the accompanying figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

It should be noted that the drawings are not to scale and are intendedonly as an aid in conjunction with the explanations in the followingdetailed description. In the drawings, identical reference numbers, ifany, identify similar elements or acts. The sizes and relative positionsof elements in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. Forexample, the shapes of various elements and angles are not drawn toscale, and some of these elements may be arbitrarily enlarged andpositioned to improve drawing legibility. Features and advantages of thepresent invention will become appreciated as the same become betterunderstood with reference to the specification, claims, and appendeddrawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a patient positioned in an adjustablehair transplantation chair according to one embodiment of the presentapplication configured for a hair harvesting procedure;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a patient positioned in the hairtransplantation chair of FIG. 1 re-configured for an implantationprocedure;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of a patient positioned in an adjustablehair transplantation chair configured for harvesting according toanother embodiment, and

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of the patient in the hair transplantationchair re-configured for implantation;

FIGS. 5A and 5B are perspective views from opposite sides of anotherexample of an adjustable hair transplantation chair of the presentapplication in a harvesting position;

FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate an example of the seat of the chair of thepresent application and an example of its elevation mechanism in raisedand lowered positions, respectively;

FIG. 7A is a detail view of an example of an embodiment of a crankadjustment mechanism that may be implemented to rotate a cradle of thehair transplantation chair, such as that shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, andFIG. 7B is a detail view of an example of a locking mechanism for thecradle;

FIGS. 8A and 8B are perspective views from opposite sides of the hairtransplantation chair of FIGS. 5A and 5B re-configured into animplantation position, and FIG. 8c illustrates just an example of theseat of the chair and its elevation mechanism thereof;

FIGS. 9A-9C are several views of an example of an adjustment structurefor attaching and/or adjusting wheels of the hair transplantation chairthat may be implemented in various embodiments;

FIGS. 10A-10D are various orthogonal views of an alternative embodimentof a hair transplantation chair in a harvesting position;

FIGS. 11A-11D are various orthogonal views of an alternative embodimentof the hair transplantation chair in an implantation position;

FIGS. 12A-12C are perspective and orthogonal views of yet anotheralternative adjustable hair transplantation chair of the presentapplication in a harvesting position, also illustrating a robotic systemused for automated hair transplantation;

FIGS. 13A-13C are perspective and orthogonal views of the hairtransplantation chair of FIGS. 12A-12C in an implant position, alsoillustrating the robotic system used for automated hair transplantation;

FIGS. 14A-14C are perspective and orthogonal views of a still furtheradjustable hair transplantation chair of the present application in aharvesting position, also illustrating a robotic system used forautomated hair harvesting;

FIGS. 15A-15C are perspective and orthogonal views of the hairtransplantation chair of FIGS. 14A-14C, also illustrating a roboticsystem used for automated hair implantation;

FIGS. 16A-16C are perspective and orthogonal views of a still furtheradjustable hair transplantation chair of the present application in aharvesting position, also illustrating a robotic system used forautomated hair harvesting;

FIGS. 17A-17C are perspective and orthogonal views of the hairtransplantation chair of FIGS. 16A-16C, also illustrating a roboticsystem used for automated hair implantation; and

FIG. 18A is a perspective view of a further alternative embodiment of anadjustable hair transplantation chair in a harvesting position, and FIG.18B is an elevational view of the same chair.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In the following Detailed Description, reference is made to theaccompanying drawings that show by way of illustration some examples ofembodiments in which the invention may be practiced. In this regard,directional terminology, such as “right”, “left”, “upwards”,“downwards”, “forward”, “backward”, “vertical”, “horizontal” etc., areused with reference to the orientation of the Figure(s) being described.Because components or embodiments of the present invention can bepositioned or operated in a number of different orientations, thedirectional terminology is used for purposes of illustration and is inno way limiting. The terms “operatively connected,” “coupled,” or“mounted,” or “attached” as used herein, means directly or indirectlycoupled, attached, or mounted through one or more interveningcomponents. It is also to be understood that other embodiments may beutilized and structural or logical changes may be made without departingfrom the scope of the present invention. The following description,therefore, is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of thepresent invention is defined by the appended claims.

Many medical procedures, for example, hair restoration, is atime-consuming process that can take in some cases all day. Hairtransplantation typically involves hair harvesting and hair implantation(which may include making small holes in a bald area where follicularunits will be implanted, sometimes called “site making”). Roboticimplementation of any or all parts of the procedure may greatly speed upthe overall process. The present application is directed to a chair andmethods of its use that are especially useful in hair transplantationprocedures. According to one aspect, a hair transplantation chair isprovided that can be used and adjusted for both the harvesting andimplantation procedures.

The hair transplantation chairs described herein are especiallybeneficial in the automated, e.g. robotic, procedures, however, they areuseful for both manual and robotic hair transplantations, as the issueof the patient's comfort applies to both. For instance, these proceduresoften require access to the sides of the patient's scalp/donor areawhile holding the head stable with minimal movement. For example, thepatient may need to rotate/turn their head 45° in order for theautomated harvesting device to harvest the sides of the scalp. Applicantis not aware of any chairs on the market which are specifically designedfor use in hair transplantation procedures or any current chairconfiguration for use in other applications that fulfills the needs ofpatient positioning during hair transplantation procedures.

The various chairs described herein desirably address a number ofdeficiencies of the chairs currently available on the market for use indifferent applications. First of all, it should be understood that apatient chair for hair transplantation has some unique requirements thatare not relevant or present in various chairs that exist on the market(including various massage chairs, surgical chairs, etc.) The hairtransplantation procedure is very time consuming (current manualprocedures may last the whole day—8 hours!) and the patient is usuallyawake during the procedure (unlike patients under anesthesia in somesurgical procedures). The patient thus tends to move around during thatlengthy procedure. Patient movement during a massage session, forexample, is of no serious consequence, and indeed may be encouraged.Therefore massage chairs are designed without addressing concerns ofpatient movement. However, in hair transplantation, and especially inthe robotic hair transplantation, it is important to reduce movements ofthe head of a patient during operation of the harvesting or implantingtools to avoid injuries and assure precise placement of the tool toharvest or implant hair grafts. At the same time, while the chairsdescribed herein are especially useful for hair transplantation, theycould be also used in other procedures where the same considerationsapply—the patient is generally awake (not under general anesthesia likein most surgeries), the procedure is lengthy and it is hard for thepatient to remain still for a long time, and where it is important thatthe patient's head is positioned at a certain level at all times withminimal movement. For example, certain cosmetic surgery procedures maybenefit from the adjustable chairs described herein.

The chairs described in the present application provide a chairarchitecture that enables the patient to sit for a significant period oftime with his head in substantially the same position, and at the sametime allow the patient to reduce patient fatigue, pain, discomfort, orsoreness from sitting in any one position for an extended period oftime. This goal is achieved with a configuration that allows the chairto essentially “pivot” approximately about the head of the patient, thusallowing the patient to pivot his/her position as a whole and eliminatefatigue without actually moving the head relative to the bodypositioning. The “pivoting” allows change of the patient's center ofgravity so as to relocate sitting pressures to different parts of thebody, which accomplishes the same goal as if the patient moved.

The present application provides a chair architecture that enables thehead of the patient to essentially remain in substantially the sameposition despite any motion of the chair, so that a manual hand-heldtool, or a robotic arm with the attached tool can continue to access thehead, for example, without having to undergo major recalibration, and sothat time is not wasted on repositioning the tool.

According to another aspect, a chair architecture is provided thatenables the doctor to access the patient's head, and the patient's headremain in substantially the same position, despite any motion of thechair. At the same time, it allows the doctor to remain comfortableduring the long procedure. For example, while the patient's bodyposition is adjusted, a doctor may be standing or seated during theprocedure in the same position without a need to change the elevation ofhis/her hands to accommodate movement of the patient's head. Anarchitecture that substantially allows the chair to “pivot” about thehead of the patient such that the head remains at approximately the samelevel or position achieves this objective.

According to a further aspect, a chair architecture is provided that canbe utilized for both the hair harvesting procedure in which the patienthas his face down, and the hair implanting procedure in which thepatient has his face up. The chairs described herein reduce the chairspace required in the treatment office by providing a chair design thatis capable of comfortably supporting a patient in both harvesting andimplanting positions. The disclosed chairs provide for adjustingposition of the patient's body during both harvesting and implantationwithout slowing down either procedure.

In certain embodiments, a central structure of the chair (a cradlemechanism) typically supports functional areas of the chair, such as aseat and a head support. The central structure also provides anadjustment, which addresses the need to position the patient in bothface-up (implantation) and face-down (harvesting) positions. Thispositioning also enables different body sizes to be accommodatedcomfortably. It is also anticipated that patient body fatigue will besomewhat relieved by re-positioning of the patient during the procedureas described in detail below.

One of the purposes of the chair is to position the patient's head forboth robotic and physician access. The chair will position the patient'shead within the range and capability of the robotic arm with theattached tool for dissection and/or site making/implanting. The chairwill also position the patient's head for accessibility by the physicianand technicians for manual harvesting and manual implanting.

The size of the chair, its configuration and build-in adjustments aredesigned to accommodate a male in the 5% to 95% physical demographic.(The 5% to 95% range, is taken from statistical data giving variousheights relative to a male person seated on a chair in variouspositions). According to some embodiments, the chair is designed toessentially provide a pivoting or rotating motion approximately aboutthe head of this “5% to 95% male”, for example, when the head ispositioned on a head support of the chair. In some embodiments, thechair is configured such that a pivoting (or center of rotation) pointmay be at an elevation approximately in a range of around 44 to 48inches or so from the floor or the ground level. One of the functions ofthe chair rotation according to the present application is to maintainthe height of the top of the head, or the area in which the procedure isaccessible, within the range that does not interfere with the roboticarm. In the embodiments mentioned earlier in this paragraph, it may bedesirable to keep the top of the head at a height, for example, between48 to 52 inches from the floor. This provides desired accessibility forthe doctor and keeps it within the operational range of the robotic arm.In this example, the center of rotation may be approximately at 46inches from the floor, and the radius of the arch may be approximatelyat 44 inches. Variations, of course, will occur due to various factors,including without limitation head size, site location, particularmedical procedure involved, head support adjustment features, inparticular sliding front to back and pivoting within the head supportitself. In this position of the center of rotation or pivoting, somephysicians will stand during procedure while some physicians can sit,for example on a high chair, and have convenient access to the patient'shead (instead of standing on his/her feet for hours). At the same time,in the robotic implementation, position of the pivoting point at certainheight above the floor (for example, 44 to 48 inches from the ground)permits the robotic arm to move freely above and around the patient'shead without interfering with the head or causing any undesirablecontact (proper “clearance” distance). Furthermore, the chairs of thepresent application allow for easy patient's entry and exit from thechair.

In addition to providing rotational repositioning of the whole body of apatient so that it is comfortable for treatment, the chair of thepresent application may provide, for example, for various independentadjustments to the chest, seat, arms, and ankles. Some of theseadjustments may be indexed while some may be infinite depending on theembodiment of the chair and associated methods of chair movement andadjustments.

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a patient P in an adjustable hairtransplantation chair 20 according to one example of the presentapplication in a harvesting position and in an implantation position,respectively. The harvesting procedure requires the patient to be facedown, while the implantation procedure is a face-up procedure. Oneadvantageous feature of the hair transplantation chair described hereinis the ability to easily convert it between the harvesting andimplantation configurations. To reduce the chair space required in thetreatment office, a chair capable of supporting both harvesting andimplantation positions is especially useful. However, the capability ofconverting the chair does not preclude the provision of two separatechairs for the different procedures. It should be understood, therefore,that unless excluded by the claim language that the hair transplantationchair in different embodiments can be just for harvesting, just forimplantation, or convertible between the two configurations.

The hair transplantation chair 20 is shown to include a stable baseplatform 22 configured for positioning on the floor and having a pair ofsubstantially curved rails 24 fixed vertically thereon. The rails 24commence at a low point at a rearward end 26 of the base 22 and curveupward in a forward direction to a high point 28 (see FIG. 2). A base ofthe chair 20 may include the base platform 22 and any elements mountedon it in a fixed manner, such as the rails 24 and an arc-shaped support25 (shown in FIG. 2) that projects upward from the base platform. Thedirections forward and rearward are arbitrarily assigned to theorientation of the patient in the implantation position shown in FIG. 2.A flat portion of the base 22 near the ground may be shaped andconfigured to allow a doctor come close to the sides of the patient, asseen in FIG. 1.

A cradle or carriage 30 includes a lower bracket 32 that travels on thecurved rails 24. The carriage 30 thus moves in either direction along agenerally arc-shaped path indicated by the double arrow 34 in FIG. 1.More particularly, the cradle 30 rotates or pivots along a generallyarcuate surface defined by the rails 24 on the base 22. Rotational orpivoting movement of the cradle is substantially centered about a pointmark with a letter C. A particular height or a range of desired heightsof point C may be chosen depending on particular embodiment orimplementation to accommodate sitting/standing position that iscomfortable for a physician during procedure, adequate space availablefor the comfort of the patient, and/or to accommodate the clearanceneeded for the robot in order not to interfere with the head of thepatient. In the embodiments directed to hair harvesting and/orimplantation procedures, the point C is located in close proximity orsubstantially close to the center of the patient's head when it ispositioned on a head support or a headrest of the chair. Therefore, thecradle 30 rotates substantially about the patient's head positioned onthe head support with a minimum change in elevation or translation(forward and back movement within a horizontal line). It shall beunderstood that the pivoting point C may be located within a smalldistance of the center of the head, for example, within 0 to 3 inchesradius, and in some embodiments preferably within 0 to 1 inches radius.Furthermore, as seen in FIG. 1, a number of adjustable supports (withoptional cushions) may be attached to the cradle 30.

First of all, the patient P is shown with his head slightly elevatedfrom a head support 40 that is attached at the top of a generallyvertical or upright column 42. It should be noted that hair transplantsare more often done on males, and therefore the patient P will bereferred to in the masculine sense simply for convenience of thedescription. It should be understood that the same should apply to thefemale patients. The head support 40 may include a central opening thatreceives the patient's face and permits breathing and vision during thelong procedure with a face down. Soft cushioning is typically providedon the head support 40, though it is not shown in this illustration. Oneof the goals of the chair is to maintain patient comfort and proceduralefficiency, which at least in part is contributed by effective head andneck adjustments. These adjustments are important because they affect anease of positioning a tool used for harvesting or implantation relativeto the donor or recipient area on the head of a patient. The headsupport 40 may be adjustable relative to the column 42 to have theability to translate forward or backward, or pivot in a vertical planealigned with the forward backward directions. Such adjustment willprovide for different head orientations and angling while seating in thechair, and accommodate patients with different head shapes and necklength. For example, in some non-limiting embodiments the head supportis configured to pivot ±22.5 degrees, as well as translate forward orbackward ±1.5 inches (a total of 3 inches). In other embodiments, thesedimensions may vary. The translational motion of the head support may beachieved, for example, by using linear slides that are located within aframe of the head support, or, for example, a four bar linkage mechanismcould achieve similar movement. Locking clamps (not shown) may securethe position and orientation of the head support 40 with respect to thecolumn 42. Once the headrest pivoting and sliding in forward/backwarddirection is fixed and locked for a particular position of a patientduring at least a portion of the procedure, it is desirable that suchfixed headrest position remains substantially the same during thatportion of the procedure. For example, once the head of the patient ispositioned for harvesting all desired hair grafts from a certain regionof a head, it is desirable that the head will remain in that positionduring the whole time that is needed for harvesting all selected hairgrafts from that region. Therefore, harvesting or implantation from thatselected region of the scalp will occur without further movements of thehead support 40. However, to improve comfort of a person positioned inthe chair without allowing movements of the head support (andultimately, the head) for a prolonged time, the overall position of thebody of the person and/or position of the other body supports may beadjusted to enable slight movements during that time and relieve musclestress or discomfort, as will be described.

In the harvesting position of FIG. 1, the hair transplantation chair 20may include a padded arm support 44 mounted on or attached to the column42. A torso or chest support 46 (typically padded) may be also mountedon the column 42. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the patient P sits on aseat 48 (that may be padded) and may rest his knees on padded leg rests50 on either side of the cradle or carriage 30. As indicated, each ofthe described supports may be operatively attached with respect to thecradle/carriage 30, although their respective positions may be adjustedin various ways as needed. Any of the supports may be padded ornon-padded in various embodiments and implementations.

More particularly, in some embodiments the arm support 44 may beadjusted vertically with respect to the column 42. Similarly, the torsosupport 46 can be pivotally adjusted to change the angle with respect tothe column 42. The height and angle of the seat 48 also can be adjusted,as can the angle of the leg rests 50. However, because the carriage 30rotates about position in close proximity or substantially near a centerof the head positioned on the head support 40, any of these supports,that may be referred to as the body supports, can be adjusted during theprocedure to change the posture or a weight allocation of the patient Pwithout the patient's head substantially moving. In other words, theentire carriage 30 can be shifted along the rails 24 to reorient theangle of the patient (and to shift his/her weight allocation), while thehead support 40 remains substantially stationary (although some, forexample, pivoting adjustments to accommodate the angle of the neck areallowable) because it sits close to the center C of rotation of thecarriage. If desired, the various supports may be also adjusted to makethe patient more comfortable in the new position, however, onceinitially adjusted to accommodate for a particular patient, subsequentlya slight pivoting or rotation of the cradle alone may provide all reliefnecessary to the patient to avoid discomfort and muscle strain.

FIG. 2 shows the hair transplantation chair 20 re-configured for animplantation procedure. The carriage 30 is shown rotated about the arccentered at point C to a rearward position relative to the base 22 andrails 24 such that the column 42 is at the far rear end of the system.The head support 40 mounts at the top of the column 42, and the torsosupport 46 is repositioned to support now the upper back of the patientP. The patient sits on the seat 48 and a supplemental lumbar support 52may be attached, for example, to the underside of the seat 48 foradditional support. The seat 48 further includes padded armrests 54.Either the arm support 44 or the leg/knee rest 50 shown in FIG. 1 may bedecoupled from the system and reattached to provide an angled legsupport 56 as seen in FIG. 2. Reattachment of various body supports canbe achieved, for example, by quick release fasteners, they could be alsoadjusted by pivot angles and/or slots for linear positioning.

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of a patient positioned in an example ofan adjustable hair transplantation chair 60 configured for harvesting,and FIG. 4 is an elevational view of the patient in the hairtransplantation chair 60 re-configured for implantation. Comparison ofFIGS. 3 and 4 will indicate to the reader the conversion of varioussupports between the harvesting and implantation positions.

In the hair transplantation chair 60, a column 62 extends generallyupward on a cradle 63 (and may form a part of a cradle). The cradle 63is configured to move along a generally arc-shaped path on a base 64. Asmentioned previously, the base 64 of the chair 60 includes any elementsmounted thereto in a fixed manner, such as a support 65 that projectsupward from a lower platform, and may include rails or a track (notshown) on which the cradle 63 rotates or moves. A head of the patient,if positioned on the head support 66 at the top of the column 62, willremain substantially at the same spatial location (from the elevationand/or translation point of view) with respect to the base 64 becausethe arc of rotation of the cradle 63 is centered adjacent thereto;however, the angle of the head support 66 may be adjusted as indicatedby the double-headed arrow 68, as explained in more details earlier. Inthe harvesting position of FIG. 3, the patient P sits on a padded seat70 with his feet on the floor. Also, the head support 66 features apadded rest having a central opening that receives the patient's faceand permits breathing and vision thereby during the long procedure. Thehead support may use pads of various thickness, therefore, depending onthe size/thickness of the pad, in some embodiments the height of thehead support may be adjustable so that the elevation/height of theposition of the head of the patient P on the padded head support remainssubstantially the same.

The padded seat 70 may be pivotally mounted on a seat carriage 72 thatin turn mounts to translate linearly or along a slight arc with respectto a bracket 74 as indicated by double-headed arrow 76, the bracket 74could be mounted to the cradle 63. Indeed, the seat carriage 72 may alsorotate along the same arc as the cradle 63, with a center at point C.The padded seat 70 may, for example, tilt or pivot ±20° with respect tothe seat carriage 72, as indicated by the double-headed arrow 78. Theseat 70 may also be adjusted in height, for example, up to 5 inches bothup and down, and it could be translated forward/backward a totaldistance of 3 inches. The patient's chest rests on a torso support 80that may pivot ±45° with respect to the column 62. A padded armrest 82may be attached in a fixed position to the column 62, however, it alsomay be adjustably positioned.

With reference now to FIG. 4, the hair transplantation chair 60 has beenconverted to the implantation position with the patient in a face-uporientation. The seat carriage 72 has been moved to the right, or in acounterclockwise direction. The angle of the padded seat 70 has beenre-oriented and a supplemental lumbar support 84 attached to a bracket86 may be mounted to an underside thereof. Further, the pad for the headsupport 66 has been switched from the open-faced version for harvestingto a bowl-shaped pad to support the back of the patient's head duringimplantation. The bracket 86 may be attached to pivot about an axis asindicated by the double-headed arrow 88. The torso support 80 is now anupper back support that has been re-oriented to align with the lumbarsupport 84. Finally, a pair of armrests 90 and a single or bifurcatedleg rests 92 are added for patient comfort. The armrests 90 may bevertically adjustable, for example, ±6 inches, while the leg rest 92 maybe mounted to a bracket 94 that slides on and may be locked with respectto the larger bracket 74, as indicated by the double-headed arrow 96.Further, the leg rest 92 may pivot about the bracket 94 as indicated bythe double-headed arrow 98.

In both the harvesting position of FIG. 3, and implantation position ofFIG. 4, the hair transplantation chair 60 provides a plurality ofmovable body supports. It is desirable that the head support 66generally retains its position with respect to the floor or the bottomportion of the base 64, while the seat 70 rotates around it. In eachposition, the various padded body supports and rests are also adjustedto maximize patient comfort. In this manner, a long procedure of perhapsseveral hours may be performed without unduly causing discomfort to thepatient. For example, during the harvesting or implantation procedure,the cradle 63 and/or seat 70 may be moved along their respective arcs,while any of the supports (e.g., 80, 84, 90, and 92) may be translated,pivoted, or adjusted in height and orientation as appropriate. Thepatient's posture can therefore be adjusted during the procedure withoutchanging the spatial position of the head on the head support 66.

FIGS. 5A and 5B are perspective views from opposite sides of anotherexample of an adjustable hair transplantation chair 100 of the presentapplication in a harvesting position, while FIGS. 8A and 8B show thechair 100 re-configured into an implantation position. These twopositions are also shown in the various orthogonal views of FIGS.10A-10D at 11A-11D.

The hair transplantation chair 100 includes a base 102 adjustablymounted on wheels 104 as described in more detail in reference to FIGS.9A-9C. Although the base 102 can be stationary, in some embodiments itmay have wheels. The wheels 104 permit the chair 100 to be easilytransported and also to be moved from one procedure room to another, asneeded. As will be described, the wheels 104 are desirably convertibleso that the chair 100 can rest on the underside of the base 102 or onthe leveling feet during any one procedure for stability.

As seen in FIG. 5A, the base 102 includes a frame 106 that projectsupward on one side and defines a generally arc-shaped path forsliding/rotational/pivoting movement of a cradle or carriage 108. Atleast a portion of the cradle 108 has a generally arcuate shapegenerally conforming to the arc of the frame 106. The cradle may bemoved along an arc having a length, for example, of 15 to 20 inches andsubtending an angle in the region of, for example, 24 to 30 degrees withrespect to the center of rotation C. The cradle 108 also includes acolumn 110 projecting upward at one end thereof.

As could be also seen in FIGS. 10A and 11A, a head support 112 mounts atthe top of the column 110. As seen in FIGS. 10A and 11A, various otherbody supports are provided on the chair 100, including a seat 114, achest or back support 116, and lumbar support 118, a leg rest 120 (seeFIG. 11A), and a pair of armrests 122. In the harvesting position shownin FIG. 10A, the patient lies face down with his posterior resting onthe seat 114, his chest on the chest support 116, and his head on thehead support 112. In implantation position of FIG. 11A, the patient liesface up with his posterior resting on the seat 114, is back on the backsupport 116 and additional lumbar support 118, and his legs on the legrest 120. In some embodiments (as seen in FIGS. 5B and 8B), anadditional leg (e.g. calf) support portion 123 may be provided forsupporting ankles. The armrests 122 are typically raised in theimplantation position, as seen in FIG. 11A, but lowered in theharvesting position.

Each of these supports and rests are independently movable in at leastone direction. For example, as seen in FIG. 11A, the armrests 122 pivoton an arm 124 about a point 126 fixed with respect to the seat 114. Thechest or back support 116 pivots about a point 128 fixed with respect tothe column 110. Likewise, the head support 112 may be translated left orright (forward/backward) relative to FIGS. 10A and 11A, and tilted upand down as indicated by the arrows.

Each of the supports/rests may be connected or mounted for movementrelative to the cradle or carriage 108. The carriage 108 in turn rotatesabout the arc defined by the base frame 106. That arc is centered abouta point C that may be positioned in close proximity, for example,slightly above the head support 112. In other words, the collection ofthe supports/rests defines a frame of reference that rotatessubstantially about the head of a patient when positioned on the headsupport 112. As seen in this embodiment, although the individualsupport/rests may be adjusted within a certain range, they ultimatelyrotate or are mounted to a point that is fixed on the carriage 108.Because the carriage 108 rotates about the head support 112 aspreviously explained, anything mounted thereon also rotates about thehead support. One of the additional advantageous of this configurationis that the chair 100 may be converted from the harvesting configurationto the implantation configuration and back by moving the carriage 108and adjusting the various supports, while the head support 112 mayremains substantially in the same position. Likewise, during either theharvesting procedure or implantation procedure, the patient's bodypositions can be adjusted by moving one or more of the supports/rests,with the head of the patient remaining relatively stationary on the headsupport 112.

FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate just the seat 114 of the hair transplantationchair that may be implemented in various embodiments of the presentapplication, and an example of a mechanism 130 for elevating the seat.The mechanism 130 changes the elevation of the seat 114 relative to thecradle and/or the base of the chair. For instance, a locking knob 132accessible on the end of an arm permits the user to loosen a clamp thatfixes the chair elevation. In some embodiments, springs (not shown)within the support mechanism 130 may bias the seat 114 upward, so thatthe user need only reduce the weight on the seat and loosen the knob132. The springs have a force less than the expected patient weight, sothat the seat 114 can easily be lowered by loosening the knob 132 andsitting on the seat. This adjustment provides flexibility to the hairtransplantation chair to accommodate both small and large patients. Insome embodiments a hydraulic cylinder may be used to adjust the heightof the chair. To raise the height of the chair the user may pump ahandle, for example, the handle of the knob 132, up and down to thedesired height. To lower the chair the user may rotate the knob 132 atthe end of the handle to release the pressure in the system, then maytighten the knob at the desired height. Of course, various othermechanisms 130 are contemplated, such as a pneumatic or hydraulicsystem, a crank lift, a lever such as with a car jack, foot pump, etc.

According to another aspect, FIG. 7A shows an embodiment of a cradlemovement mechanism, for example a crank adjustment mechanism, that maybe implemented with various embodiments of the chair of the presentapplication for rotating a cradle, for example, the cradle 108 of thehair transplantation chair 100. The mechanism features a handle or crank142 that may be mounted or attached to or within the frame 106 (fixed tothe base 102) and connected to a shaft 144 that either turns a gearwithin a gearbox or acts on a pneumatic or hydraulic driver.Alternatively, as will be understood by those of skill in the art, the142 crank may be mounted to the cradle 108. Turning the crank 142displaces the cradle 108 with respect to the frame 106. Prior todisplacing the cradle 108, its position must be unlocked with respect tothe frame 106. In particular, FIG. 7B shows a lever 146 (also seen inFIG. 5A) that may be mounted to the column 110 and connects through aseries of linkages 148 to a brake (not shown) for the cradle 108. Whenthe technician or surgeon desires to reposition the patient, he/shemanipulates the lever 146 to permit unlocking of a locked position, andthen displaces the cradle 108 by turning the crank 142. Rotation of thecradle is accomplished by turning the handle 142 to desired angularposition. The cradle is held in that position via a worm gear. The wormgear prevents the cradle from moving unless purposefully moved with thecrank 142. The function of the brake mechanism shown in FIG. 7B is toeliminate any undesirable play in the cradle mechanism and to provide asolid and rigid connection such that there is no significant movement inthe structure that could be translated into the head support. It isdesired to have a substantially stable head support. For example, insome embodiments the head support can deflect no more than 0.10 inch at10 lbs of perpendicular force. This will provide stability of the headpositioned on the head support in the acceptable range, especially whenimplemented with the use of robotic systems for hair transplantation orother robotic systems. The cradle 108 can be moved in any desiredinfinite increment per turn of the crank 142, for example, in someembodiments in the range of up to 36 degrees of movement. In otherimplementations, the range of the degrees of movement may be adjusted upor down as applicable in that particular implementation. If desired, incertain embodiments the adjustment increments may be set at a certainresolution, for example, at a resolution of 1°. In some embodiments itmay be desirable to use a marking or indexing system, for example, forthe adjustment increments so that a doctor or technician may pre-set thecradle position based on previous experience with various patients, forexample, historic data of positions preferred by previous patients. Suchmarkings may be visible marks. Alternatively, an indexing may beimplemented by entering a desired increment electronically, for example,using a processor associated with the chair. Using such pre-setpositions will save procedure time during cradle adjustment. Similarmarking or indexing system could be applied, as appropriate, to anyother adjustments of the body supports of the adjustable chair of thepresent application. Of course, the above-described operations can beautomated with electric motors, pneumatics, hydraulics, foot pumps andsuch, and the particular mechanism for locking and displacing the cradle108 is exemplary only.

In various embodiments of the chair, instead of being stationarypositioned on the ground, the chair may be provided with a plurality ofwheels to allow the chair to be moved to a different room or a floor ofthe medical facility. While it may be desirable to easily move the chairwhen needed, it is also desirable to provide stability to the chairduring procedure on a patient. Therefore, according to another aspect ofthe present application, in some embodiments the chair may be providedwith the adjustment mechanism to position the chair, for example, eitheron leveling feet when stability is desired, or on the moving wheels whenit is desirable to move the chair. Now with reference to FIGS. 9A-9C, anexample of an adjustment structure for the wheels (casters) 104 isshown. The wheels 104 each may bolt to a member 150 that moves up anddown within a housing 152 which may be fixed to the base or frame. Inparticular, each member 150 includes a pair of vertically-oriented pins154 on opposite sides thereof that slide within a vertical slot 156 andhousing 152. A variety of devices can be used to displace the members150 up and down within the housing 152; one particularly useful versionis a foot pump 158 seen in FIG. 8B that inflates an air bladder (notshown) to simultaneously move all members 150 (for example, fourmembers) down within the respective housings 152 and lift the wholechair. Conversely, when all four members 150 are raised up to elevatethe wheels 104, the chair 100 may rests on the base 102, or morepreferably, on leveling feet 159 depending below the base 102. At leastone of the leveling feet 159 may be threaded into a socket under thebase 102 so that it may be independently adjusted to stabilize the chair100 on variously contoured floors. The lift mechanism will raise andlower the entire chair off its leveling feet so that it can be movedinto a new position, including transporting to another room. The featureof lowering or raising movable casters (wheels) allows the chair toobtain repeated stability. Also, the use of an air bladder liftmechanism improves the ability of the wheels to roll over small objectswhile moving the entire chair by virtue of the shock absorptionproperties of air.

FIGS. 12A-12C illustrate an alternative adjustable hair transplantationchair 160 of the present application in a harvesting position, whilealso illustrating a robotic system 162 used for automated harvesting.The chair 160 and robotic system 162 are also shown in FIGS. 13A-13C inan implantation position. The hair transplantation chair 160 is similarto those described above, and includes a base 164. As before, a cradleor carriage 168 may rotate/pivot along a portion of an arc with a centerof such rotation/pivoting at a point adjacent or substantially near thehead support 166 as previously explained in reference to otherembodiments. In this manner, the overall position of the patient can beadjusted during each procedure without a need to substantially movingthe head support 166, and also the chair can be converted between theharvest and implant positions.

The robotic system 162 illustrated by example in FIGS. 12A-12C has acart 170 on which a robotic arm 172 is mounted. A tool assembly 174 maybe coupled, for example, to the distal end of the robotic arm 172. Thetool assembly 174 comprises a tool, such as a harvesting tool orimplantation tool, with an operating tip 176. Various motors and othermovement devices may be incorporated to enable fine movements of anoperating tip 176 of the tool in multiple directions. The robotic system200 may further include at least one image acquisition device (notshown). A computer (not shown) may instruct the movement of the roboticarm 172 and also various movements of the tool assembly 174. Thecomputer may comprise a processor which may act, for example, through acontroller that may be operatively coupled to the robotic arm 172 andconfigured to control the motion of the robotic arm, including themotion based on the images or data acquired by the image acquisitiondevice. The system 162 may further comprise a monitor, keyboard, mouse,and other tools, devices and components useful in harvesting, and/orimplantation of the hair follicles, or in hair treatment planning (alsonot shown). Various robotic hair transplantation systems, described forexample, in the commonly-assigned patent publications of the assignee ofthe present application, such as U.S. Patent Publication No.2007/0106306 to Bodduluri et al., may be implemented with variousembodiments of the present application.

FIGS. 14A-14C show an alternative adjustable hair transplantation chair180 of the present application in a harvesting position, while alsoillustrating a robotic system 182 used for automated harvesting. Thechair 180 and the robotic system 182 are also shown in FIGS. 15A-15C inan implantation position. The chair 180 includes several featurespreviously not shown. For example, a cradle 183 on which a seat 184mounts elevates somewhat above a base 185. This emphasizes that the“cradle” may be a relatively bulky arc-shaped member as previouslyshown, or it may comprise a more elegant support such as the cradle 183.Furthermore, the seat 184 includes a seat portion 186 and a backrest187, thus combining two of the supports that were previously describedas being separate. An additional feature is a leg rest 188 that may beused in the implantation configuration of the chair 180 such as shown inFIG. 15B. The leg rest 188 may be attached to a sliding arm 189 that iscollapsible relative to the base 185 when the leg rest 188 is not inuse, such as shown in the harvesting configuration of FIG. 14B.Moreover, the ergonomics of the chair 180 represent an alternativeaesthetic appearance of the chair.

A further alternative adjustable hair transplantation chair 200 of thepresent application is seen in FIGS. 16A-16C in a harvesting position,and in FIGS. 17A-17C in an implant position. An example of the roboticsystem 202 used for automated harvesting and implantation is also shown.The hair transplantation chair 200 includes a bifurcated leg support 204that permits individual adjustment as desired. Also, a seat support 206may convert between the harvesting configuration of FIG. 16B and theimplantation configuration of FIG. 17B by swiveling. The reader willnotice that the arc of travel of a cradle 208 has a center of rotationor pivoting C located above the cradle, substantially fixed relative tothe ground and located in close proximity to a head support 210. Asexplained previously, this permits a person located in the chair toadjust his/her overall position and/or adjust various supports in boththe harvesting and implantation configuration to be moved around forpatient comfort during the long procedure without substantially changingthe absolute position of the person's head while resting on the headsupport 210.

FIGS. 18A and 18B illustrate yet another alternative adjustable hairtransplantation chair 220 in harvesting configuration. The chair 220differs in that a head support 222 is shown to be mounted on a columnwhich forms a part of the base 224, rather than on a cradle 226 thatmoves on the base. The column may be located near one end of the base224 while the cradle 226 may be positioned away from that end of thebase. Because the cradle 226 (and the seat 228 attached to the cradle)moves along a generally arcuate path that has a center of rotation C ina proximity to the head support 222 (e.g., slightly above the headsupport 222 in FIG. 18B), movement of the cradle and readjustment ofvarious other patient supports generally will not involve movement ofthe person's head when positioned on the head support 222. As before,however, the head support 222 may be mounted for various relativelysmall movements, for example, an elevational, translational and/ortilting movement, and thus may be adjusted during the procedure, as longas the position of the head when placed on the head support remainssubstantially close to the center of rotation of the cradle.

In the illustrated embodiment, the hair transplantation chair 220includes a seat 228 mounted on the cradle 226. In some embodiments, ifdesired, a pair of optional separate knee supports 230 may be alsomounted on the cradle 226. A chest or back support 232, depending onwhether the chair is configured to harvesting or transplantation, may bemounted on the base 224, for example, on a column which is fixed orforms a portion of the base 224. In this manner, the various supportscan be adjusted to relieve patient discomfort during long procedureswithout substantially changing the absolute position of the person'shead on the head support 222. Although not shown, the hair transplantchair 220 can be converted as with the other embodiments into the sitemaking or implantation position.

The present application also provides various methods for adjusting achair of the present application, and for performing a hairtransplantation procedure. One such method comprises performing a hairtransplantation procedure using a convertible hair transplantationchair. The method comprises positioning a patient in a convertible hairtransplantation chair in a harvesting configuration of the chair whereina patient's posterior rests on a seat leaning forward with a head of thepatient positioned face-down on a head support; harvesting follicularunits from the patient positioned in the harvesting configuration of theconvertible chair; converting the hair transplantation chair to animplantation configuration where the patient's posterior rests on theseat leaning backward with his head positioned face-up on the headsupport; and implanting hair grafts into a recipient area of the patientin the implantation configuration of the convertible chair. In someembodiments the convertible chair comprises a cradle mounted on the baseand configured for rotation along an arcuate path having a centerlocated above the cradle and in close proximity to a center of the headof the patient positioned on the head support, and converting the chairto the implantation configuration comprises adjusting position of thecradle along the arcuate path such that the center of the head of thepatient on the head support remains approximately at the center of thecradle rotation. In some embodiments of the method converting comprisesturning a portion of the seat in the harvesting configuration of thechair into a leg support in the implantation configuration of the chair.The above-mentioned method of performing hair transplantation proceduremay be adjusted as needed for other procedures that could benefit fromthe same principles disclosed herein, and these alternative methods arecontemplated within the scope of the inventions disclosed herein.

Another example of the method of performing a procedure (e.g. hairtransplantation procedure) is a method comprising positioning a patientin a chair, the chair having a head support for receiving the patient'shead in either a face-down orientation or a face-up orientation, thechair further including a cradle mounted on a base and configured forrotation along a substantially arc-shaped path having a center locatedabove the cradle, wherein the head support is mounted such that when thepatient's head is positioned on the head support, it is approximately atthe center of cradle rotation, and wherein a seat is mounted on thecradle such that the patient may be seated thereon with his or her headon the head support, the position of the cradle on the base beingadjustable along the arc such that the center of the patient's headpositioned on the head support remains approximately at the center ofcradle rotation. The method further comprises adjusting position of thecradle along the substantially arc-shaped path relative to the base. Insome embodiments, the chair may be a hair transplantation chair, and themethod may further comprise in some embodiments harvesting follicularunits from the patient and in other embodiments implanting follicularunits while the patient is positioned in the hair transplantation chair.The steps of adjusting position of the cradle along the path may berepeated as needed to reposition the patient in the chair, and then thesteps of hair harvesting or hair implantation may be repeated while thepatient is in the adjusted position.

With reference to various methods described herein, it will be apparentthat the number of steps that are utilized for such methods are notlimited to those described. Also, the methods do not require that allthe described steps are present. Although the methodology describedabove as discrete steps, one or more steps may be added, combined oreven deleted, without departing from the intended functionality of theembodiments of the invention. The steps can be performed in a differentorder or have the steps shared between more than one processor, forexample. It will also be apparent that the method described above may beimplemented using manual, partially or substantially automated systems,including using robotic systems.

While the invention has been described in its preferred embodiments, thewords which have been used are words of description and not oflimitation. These embodiments are susceptible to various modificationsand alternative forms, and it should be understood that the inventiongenerally, as well as the specific embodiments described herein, coverall modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the scopeof the appended claims. By way of non-limiting example, it will beappreciated by those skilled in the art that particular features orcharacteristics described in reference to one figure or embodiment maybe combined as suitable with features or characteristics described inanother figure or embodiment. Further, those skilled in the art willrecognize that the devices, systems, and methods disclosed herein arenot limited to one field, such as hair restoration, but may be appliedto any number of fields. Therefore, changes may be made within theappended claims without departing from the true scope of the invention.Applicant regards the subject matter of the invention to include allnovel and nonobvious combinations and subcombinations of the variouselements, features, functions, and/or properties disclosed herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of performing a hair transplantationprocedure using a convertible hair transplantation chair, comprising:positioning a patient in a convertible hair transplantation chair in aharvesting configuration of the chair wherein a patient's posteriorrests on a seat leaning forward with a head of the patient positionedface-down on a head support; harvesting follicular units from thepatient positioned in the harvesting configuration of the convertiblechair; converting the hair transplantation chair to an implantationconfiguration where the patient's posterior rests on the seat leaningbackward with his head positioned face-up; implanting hair grafts into arecipient area of the patient in the implantation configuration of theconvertible chair.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step ofharvesting follicular units and/or implanting is done with theassistance of a robot.
 3. A method of performing a hair transplantationprocedure using a convertible hair transplantation chair, comprising:positioning a patient in a convertible hair transplantation chair in aharvesting configuration of the chair wherein a patient's posteriorrests on a seat leaning forward with a head of the patient positionedface-down on a head support; harvesting follicular units from thepatient positioned in the harvesting configuration of the convertiblechair; converting the hair transplantation chair to an implantationconfiguration where the patient's posterior rests on the seat leaningbackward with his head positioned face-up on the head support;implanting hair grafts into a recipient area of the patient in theimplantation configuration of the convertible chair.
 4. The method ofclaim 3, wherein the convertible chair comprises a cradle mounted on thebase and configured for rotation along an arcuate path having a centerlocated above the cradle and in close proximity to a center of the headof the patient positioned on the head support, and wherein convertingcomprises adjusting position of the cradle along the arcuate path suchthat the center of the head of the patient on the head support remainsapproximately at the center of the cradle rotation.
 5. The method ofclaim 3, wherein converting comprises turning a portion of the seat inthe harvesting configuration of the chair into a leg support in theimplantation configuration of the chair.
 6. The method of claim 3,wherein the step of harvesting follicular units and/or implanting isdone with the assistance of a robot.